Experience with Abilify

Hi @jay_baruch. A warm welcome to Connect!

Thanks for sharing your experience. I'm so glad to hear you feel you've found something that is working.

I'm tagging @mztbaker, @14gardens, @reichertolivia12 and @nickjr who have all posted about Abilify though it was some time ago. And @jharsh, @Gavin, @kcollins719, @hils, @kdecker003, @claudia11 and @davewinps have more recently posted about Lexapro so if they have any relevant experiences, I hope they'll share them with you.

Can I ask what made you consider adding the Abilify? Was the Lexapro just not cutting it any more?

Sorry that I missed doing a search first, new to the site navigation. I was going thru a switch from Lexapro, which works pretty well for me with minimal side effects, to Cymbalta to help with chronic arthritic pain. (I have Crohn's, so no NSAID's.) I got very irritable on Cymbalta, so back to Lexapro only for a month, but still bad episodes. The Abilfy effect was pretty dramatic on day three, my critical mind was put into a corner, and sudden drops in mood stopped.

No worries at all. I know the site can be a little daunting to navigate at first. I tag people more so they'll get an email alert and hopefully come back and respond 🙂

Based on your experience with Cymbalta, you might be able to contribute to this group: https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/is-there-a-generic-version-of-cymbalta-60mg-yet/

Isn't it amazing how quickly the right med can help?!

I had significant weight gain on Abilify. Since I already had type 2 diabetes my doctor asked me to ask my psych prescriber about a change. I was changed to Latuda.

I have heard about weight gain and read about blood sugar. With Crohn's I'm not worried about the weight, fortunately (?). Thank you for sharing your experiences.

I had a very bad experience with Abilfy. I had fallen and hit my head and had several related problems. I had a preliminary diagnosis of Parkinson. A "scope" said I had Parkinsonism. I had many symptoms of Parkinson. Then I saw a "movement psychaitrist" and he diagnosed drug induced Parkinson. He took me off Abilfy and all symptoms disapeard.

Hi, I know the patent protection for Abilify (in Canada) ended a few months ago. Does anyone know of a generic replacement available yet, or have any idea when this may happen? Thanks.

Hi @sallycanuck. Welcome to Connect! I'm so glad you decided to join our community.

I moved your post to this thread since there was already an ongoing conversation about Abilify.

You are correct. As of 2015 the patent on Abilify expired and the brand is exposed to generic competition and a generic form has been available since 2015. Here is drug information from Health Canada http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/dhp-mps/medeff/reviews-examens/abilify-eng.php. And, here is a more consumer-friendly description: http://www.rexall.ca/articles/view/1974/Abilify.

Are you taking Abilify? What has been your experience with the medication?

Hi @kelseydm,
Thanks for the Rexall link...really helpful. My sister has been on it for over a year. It was prescribed by a family doctor, not a psychiatrist and from my research it appears that it is inappropriate and possibly dangerous to go "off label", especially as it is not being used in conjunction with an Ssri.
She has a slight heart murmur (congenital) and is 60 yrs old. She has gained over 25 pounds and smokes 2 packs a day. She says the Abilify (just changed to generic Citralopram 40 mg) has helped her anxiety, but I am concerned for her.
Can anyone comment on using Abilify alone for anxiety?
Thanks so much.

Sorry everyone. I just realized Citalopram is not Abilify, but rather an actual Ssri. So sorry for the confusion.